With sight on Kejriwal, Hemant Soren to take guard in Jharkhand

Hemant Soren all set to take charge of Jharkhand

By Manish Anand

New Delhi, July 3: Within five days of the High Court in Ranchi granting bail, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo Hemant Soren is all set to return as the chief minister of the state. Soren will soon be taking oath of the chief minister for third time.

Soren called on Jharkhand Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan on Wednesday evening. Earlier, the legislator party meeting of the JMM elected Soren as the leader.

The incumbent chief minister, Champai Soren, will tender his resignation shortly. Champai Soren had cancelled his last two officials functions in an anticipation of the move to oust him.

Hemant Soren is likely to rehabilitate Champai Soren in a “respected position” in the party. The incumbent chief minister is likely to miss out from the new council of ministers to be headed by Hemant Soren.

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Hemant Soren got relief from the Jharkhand High Court in an alleged land scam probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The High Court had come down heavily on the ED for failing to produce evidences against Hemant Soren.

The JMM supremo was arrested in the run up to the Lok Sabha elections. The circumstances leading to his arrest were dramatic, according to Ranchi-based political observers.

On his arrest, Hemant Soren had quickly resigned from the post of the chief minister. He had installed Champai Soren as the CM of the state. His wife, Kalpana Soren, had taken charge of the electioneering during the Lok Sabha elections.

“Hemant Soren is looking at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his rehabilitation as the chief minister of the state. He now knows that he can remain the chief minister even if the ED or other investigating agency arrests him again,” said a JMM functionary close to Hemant Soren.

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Hemant Soren attended a few of the political meetings after he was released from the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi. His aides suggest that the JMM supremo will once more play an emotion card in the upcoming Assembly election in Jharkhand.

“The JMM had won 25 of the total 29 reserved Assembly seats for the scheduled tribes. In the Lok Sabha elections, the JMM won all the five reserved parliamentary seats. He will seek consolidation of the tribal vote base,” said a JMM functionary.

With Hemant Soren in the hot seat, the Opposition block, the Indian National Developmental and Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will aim to block the attempts of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to wrest power in the state.

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About The Author

Manish Anand

Manish Anand is a senior journalist with more than two decades of hardcore reporting on beats such as Prime Minister’s Office, Parliament, BJP, Congress, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and scores of Union Ministries.

His past has been with The New Indian Express, The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle, and The Statesman.

For about 15 years, Manish was also a regular commentator and host for talks on AIR on foreign affairs.

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